diff --git a/ant/src/plugin-test/maven.xml b/ant/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
index 3268a1cf..9f91c976 100644
--- a/ant/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
+++ b/ant/src/plugin-test/maven.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@
 <project xmlns:util="jelly:util"
          xmlns:j="jelly:core"
          xmlns:ant="jelly:ant"
-         xmlns:assert="assert">
+         xmlns:maven="jelly:maven"
+         xmlns:u="jelly:util"
+         xmlns:assert="assert"
+         xmlns:x="jelly:xml">
          
   <goal name="testPlugin" prereqs="test-ant">
     <attainGoal name="clean"/>
@@ -31,7 +34,19 @@
 
     <ant:property name="noget" value="noget" />
     <ant:ant/>
-    
+
+    <!-- load build.xml file and check that 'target' property is relative -->
+    <u:file name="${basedir}/build.xml" var="buildFile"/>
+    <x:parse var="buildXml" xml="${buildFile.toURL()}" />
+    <x:set var="properties" select="$buildXml/project/property"/>
+    <j:set var="defaulttargetdirName" value="${properties[0].attribute('name').value}"/>
+    <j:set var="defaulttargetdirValue" value="${properties[0].attribute('value').value}"/>
+
+    <assert:assertEquals expected="defaulttargetdir" value="${defaulttargetdirName}"
+      msg="first target is not defaulttargetdir"/>
+    <assert:assertEquals expected="target" value="${defaulttargetdirValue}"
+      msg="defaulttargetdir property is not relative"/>
+
     <assert:assertFileExists file="${maven.build.dest}/directory-1/file1.properties"/>
     <assert:assertFileExists file="${maven.build.dest}/file2.properties"/>
     <assert:assertFileExists file="${maven.test.dest}/directory-1/file1.properties"/>